Columns

Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with Natpara (recombinant human parathyroid hormone) and Yorvipath (palopegteriparatide). Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. For the first time in three years, I’m about to finish a full-length novel. As I…

“No two paths are the same, just as no two people are the same.” — writer Cait Flanders My motto — “Everything happens the way it should” — expresses an acceptance that sometimes things occur beyond our control. It’s similar to the Alcoholics Anonymous philosophy of accepting things we cannot…

Having a rare disease means I have a complicated relationship with my body. I cycle through anger — wishing away my medical problems or my staggering medical bills — and the empathy that comes with knowing that teenage me navigated my medical journey the best I could. After turning 40…

Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with Natpara (parathyroid hormone). Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Lao-tzu In 2016, after I experienced a…

I’ve been going to physical therapy every week since 2022 to help with my hypoparathyroidism-related muscle spasms. At my appointment this week, my longtime therapist announced that he’s leaving to take another job where I can’t follow. I’m so thrilled that he’s found a position that’s a better fit,…

“Passover is a time of reflection and joy, when we emerge from our cocoon of doubt to fly freely on the wings of faith.” — Unknown Last week, I celebrated Passover, a Jewish holiday rich with traditions passed down through generations. We gather with family, surrounded by love, as we…

Hypoparathyroidism makes me rethink accessibility. Sometimes accessibility means having a livestream option for an event when travel is impossible. Sometimes it means having a temperature-controlled climate, because sweating can lower my calcium level. And sometimes it means having a seat at a standing-room-only show. With my hypopara, standing for…

“May the dreams of your past be the reality of your future.” — Jimi Hendrix I celebrated my birthday last week with minimal fanfare yet much gratitude to have turned 52. I missed celebrations this year because my hypoparathyroidism, or hypopara, doesn’t respect plans and shows up when I…

Having two writing jobs is my literal dream. If only 12-year-old Heather — who used to write stories in the margins of her textbooks — could see me now! Writing jobs, by nature, do come with the dreaded D-word: deadline. I thrive off of external deadlines, but my emotional joy…

I am Bari Gordon Vapnek, and I’m thrilled to share my brave journey with hypoparathyroidism here in this new column. Living in Florida, I’m a 51-year-old mother of two: a 25-year-old daughter, Drew, who’s a chiropractor in Atlanta, and a 23-year-old son, Harrison, who’s a sports director for an…